“Nope. He was combative when he came to.” Clint shook his head. “Damndest thing. Once Sylvie was by his side, the big guy calmed down long enough for me to get some Propofol into him. I need to keep him calm until I can get him through a CT scan over at the hospital.”
“Need some help, Coach?” A voice called out from behind them.
The quartet turned to see who’d spoken. Several of the football players had moved forward.
Gage motioned them over. “Sure could. We’re going to have to lift Deputy Junkins onto a stretcher for the doctor. If you guys could help us, the firefighters can continue their work.”
“I’ll help too,” another voice from the crowd spoke out.
Libby looked over and nearly groaned as Todd Banyon walked up to them. The football players made sense, but would Todd be any real help with lifting?
“Glad to have the help, Banyon,” Deke said, surprised the man had offered.
Kneeling next to Clint, he helped the doctor roll the sedated Cleetus to one side as Emma slipped a long plastic board under his body. Once it was in place to Clint’s liking, they carefully rolled the deputy back until he was on the board. Once Clint and Emma had straps on the board to secure Cleetus’ head, arms and legs, the other volunteers, along with Gage, moved into position at the handle holes cut into the board that Cleetus barely fit on.
Deke’s eyes met Gage’s and he knew they were thinking the same thing.
This was going to be like moving a ton of concrete.
“Everyone ready?” Clint asked at Cleetus’ head. Each of them nodded, including Banyon, who had one of the feet handles. “We’ll all lift on three and let’s try not to jerk him more than necessary.”
That got a few half chuckles from the team.
Clint waited for their attention to focus on him again. “Once we have him up, Emma will slide the gurney beneath him and we’ll lower him on it. But stay close, I’ll need help lifting him into the truck.”
“Everyone else move back, we want a clear path to the truck,” Deke said, looking around as people moved out of the way. His gaze landed on Libby, who stood by Sylvie, her arm once again around the tiny woman’s shoulders. That was one of the things he loved about her, that she knew just what needed to be done and never hesitated to do it.
“…two. Three,” Clint counted and as one the team of men and teens lifted the board, with a chorus of grunts.
“Jeez,” one of the teens muttered what the others working hard to hold the board and patient steady were thinking.
His muscles straining, Deke just prayed they didn’t drop him.
Emma moved quickly and the team finally walked the stretcher to the truck, once more lifting in tandem to hoist him inside.
“Can I go with him?” a soft, southern voice asked from behind them.
The group parted to see a very worried Sylvie standing near the truck, her eyes glued on the deputy’s inert body.
“There’s not a lot of room in the back of the truck,” Clint started, but stopped when Emma laid her hand on his arm.
“Sylvie was a great help calming him down earlier. We might need her when he comes out of the sedation,” she said, then smiled at Sylvie. “You can ride up front with me while the doctor stays in back with Cleetus.”
“Unless you two need to talk with her first?” Clint said to Deke and Gage.
They exchanged looks, Deke walking over to the little hair stylist. “Sylvie, I know you want to go with Cleetus and he obviously would do well with you there, but the sheriff and I need to talk with you while the events are fresh in your mind.”
“I don’t know anything. Really,” she said, her gaze still focused on the deputy.
“You probably know more than you think,” Libby said encouragingly.
“It might help us catch who did this to Cleetus,” Deke added.
That seemed to convince Sylvie. She nodded and took a big breath, straightening her spine as she exhaled. “I’ll tell you everything I can remember, Chief.”
“Please, call me, Deke,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile and pat on her shoulder. “We’ll get you over to the hospital as soon as we can.” He glanced at Gage.
“No problem. I’ll have Bobby run you right over there, Miss Gillis.”
The decision made, Clint and Emma climbed into the truck. Emma leaned out the window and called to Deke. “Anyone with minor injuries can go on over to the clinic. Harriett’s there and can handle it.”
Deke watched the truck pull out and hoped Cleetus would be okay. Then he looked at the charred remains of the home he’d grown up in.
The guy wanted to make this personal? Well, he had his attention now.
* * * * *
“Elizabeth?”
Libby cringed inwardly at Todd’s use of her formal name. But he had stepped up to help Cleetus, so she plastered a friendly look on her face and turned around.
Sheesh! He was nearly on top of her.
Talk about personal-space invasion.
Instinctively, she took one slight step backward to give her some space. Hopefully, he’d get the message. “Thanks for helping us move Cleetus, Todd. That was very kind of you.”
“I always liked the deputy. He shouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“No, he shouldn’t,” she said, thinking that was an odd comment. But then a lot of Todd’s comments were odd. “Is there something you needed?” she asked, watching Deke and Gage escort Sylvie over to the police car so she could sit and answer questions.
“Could you come over to the Colbert House?” Todd asked, drawing her attention back to him.
“Why?”
“I found some contraband material in one of the rooms. I don’t know who it belongs to. Since you’re the home’s social worker, I thought you might want to talk to the boys.”
Seriously? Now? Couldn’t the guy see there were more important things going on now? Libby reined in her impatience. “I’d be happy to come by tomorrow and look at it.”
He gave a little shrug. “I’d hate to have to kick out the wrong person.”
And he would. Probably Kyle, since he was convinced the newest house member was a serial killer or something.
Colbert House was only a few blocks away, but she really felt she should stay to be sure Sylvie and Deke were okay. Whatever Todd had found could certainly wait a little while. But he was right. The young men there would be more willing to talk to her than him. Besides, she might even be able to talk Todd into not dismissing the offender. “I’ll tell you what. Let me finish here with Sylvie, then I’ll come to the house. Maybe in an hour?”
“Sure, okay. That will work,” he said, looking like a hopeful puppy, then he turned and left, skirting the crowd.
Watching him walk away, she reminded herself he was a good man who wanted to help people. She shouldn’t condemn him because of his lack of social skills.
* * * * *
She’d come with him.
Clenching his hands into fists, rage filled him to the point he thought he’d explode like the house had.
She belonged to him. After all the time he’d taken planning to show her she was meant to be his, she threw the effort in his face by showing up at the fire with the fireman. Look at her standing there with him. She even let him touch her.
No one should touch her but him.
Ever.
But today he’d make her his. He had just enough time to get things ready.
They’d both dance to the rhythm of the fire.
Just the two of them.
Then they’d be united forever and no one, not even the fireman, could separate them.
* * * * *
A shadow fell across Deke as he hunkered down in front of Sylvie, who they’d seated in the front seat of the cruiser she and Cleetus had driven over to the house. Even before a soft hand landed on his shoulder he knew it was Libby at his side. It had always been like that between them. Anytime she was within proximity his body became more alert, tuned into her
s. He reached up and squeezed her hand briefly as he listened to Sylvie recount what she could remember about the fire and explosion.
“Cleetus was so sweet to drive me over to look at your mama’s house. Oh, God, if I hadn’t asked him to bring me, he wouldn’t be hurt.” Sylvie’s voice caught on a sob, tears in her eyes once more.
“Sylvie, it wasn’t your fault Cleetus is injured,” Libby said, reaching over to squeeze the tiny lady’s shoulder. “Besides, I’m as much to blame that he was here as you. I suggested you ask him to bring you to see the house.”
“Oh, no, Miss Libby, you can’t think that,” Sylvie rushed to reassure her.
Gage, squatting on the other side of Sylvie, his gaze meeting Deek’s. His friend was right. They needed to refocus Sylvie on the crime scene details and away from Cleetus.
“Sylvie, when you pulled up to the curb here, what did you see?”
She blinked. “Your house. It was so cute with the big front porch and the white flowers all around the front. Oh, and the lovely hostas.”
Deke bit back the urge to growl. Libby squeezed his shoulder, reminding him to be patient. Sylvie had been through a very traumatic experience and needed to be guided through the emotions to get the facts.
“Did you notice anyone outside?” Gage asked.
Sylvie scrunched down her brows and stretched her lips into a thin line, then relaxed them, shaking her head. “No, sir, Sheriff. No one was out, not even someone cutting their grass.”
“Good,” Deke said. “So you got out of the car and went onto the porch. What do you remember there?”
“Oh, Cleetus—um, Deputy Junkins,” she corrected herself, her cheeks growing a bit pink, “pulled out this huge ring of keys. I had to wait for him to flip through them until he got the one for the door.”
“Did anything strike you as odd? A movement? An odor?”
Again she drew down her brows and pressed her lips in that same thin line. Apparently, this was what she did when she concentrated. “No, nothing.”
“So, you went inside. What do you remember about that?” Gage asked this time.
Sylvie’s eyes lit up. “Oh yes.”
“What?” Deke asked. Finally, they’d get some useful information.
“All the beautiful woodwork. I just had to touch it,” Sylvie said with a smile.
Deke wanted to bang his head into the side of the car door.
“While you were inspecting the woodwork, what was Cleetus doing?” Gage said, drawing her attention to him.
“For a few minutes he just leaned against the stair rail going to the upstairs, sort of watching me.” She concentrated once more. “One minute he was there, I reached down to pick something up, and when I turned around he was gone.”
“Where had he gone?” Libby asked.
“Just into the kitchen. I went to talk to him, show him what I’d found. When I asked him what was wrong, all he said was kerosene. Then his foot slipped, like the floor was all wet. Next thing I knew, the outside of the house was on fire, Cleetus had picked me up and was running out the front the door.” She gave a soft little sob and clutched the bloody cloth in her lap tight.
Deke laid his hand gently over hers. “I know this is hard to do, but you’re doing great, Sylvie. I have a question I want you to think hard about, okay?”
She nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Do you remember if the fire started and then the explosion came? Or was there an explosion outside the house then the fire?”
Once more, Sylvie concentrated hard. “The fire definitely came first. Deputy Junkins had us almost out the front door when this horrible rumble started, the ground shook, and we were tossed off the porch. Cleetus turned so he wouldn’t land on me, but then shoved me sideways as the front door flew at us.” She gasped back a sob again, her eyes brimming once more with tears. “That’s what injured him. The door hit him hard. Then there was blood everywhere. He protected me and he got hurt.”
“And he wouldn’t have wanted you to get hurt,” Gage said, patting her on the shoulder. “Cleetus takes his job protecting people very seriously.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Especially someone he cares about.”
His words seemed to ease some of her anguish.
“Sylvie, I have a question,” Libby said, and Deke turned to see her head tilted to the side. “You said you went to show Cleetus what you’d found.”
“Yes, I thought it odd that something was on the floor of the empty house. Especially something I made.”
The hairs on Deke’s arms rose. “What did you find?”
“This.” Sylvie lifted the blood-soaked rag in her hands, opening it to show it wasn’t a rag but a T-shirt. “I delivered these to Miss Lorna over at the café just last week.”
Stitched on the front was the Peaches ’N Cream’s new logo.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“You found this in the house? Not outside?” Deke asked, gently taking the shirt from Sylvie.
He had to be fighting his anger that someone had destroyed his home and nearly killed Cleetus and Sylvie, but Libby also knew he’d be as careful with the little hairdresser as he could. He’d always had patience with people who had been traumatized.
“Inside,” Sylvie said without hesitation. “It was wadded up in the corner of the living room.”
“In the living room? Not near the kitchen where the fire started?” Despite the dried blood on it and what looked like circular burn marks the size of cigarette butts, he held the shirt up and sniffed. He handed it over to Gage, who did the exact same thing, then shook his head. Libby knew they were looking for any evidence of kerosene on the shirt.
“No, sir, Chief…I mean, Deke, it was definitely in the living room. It was the only thing in the living room, which is what caught my eye,” Sylvie said. “When I picked it up and realized it was one of mine. I turned to show Cleetus, but he’d already walked away. Do you think it had something to do with the fire?”
Deke exchanged looks with Gage and Libby. So far the knowledge that the two fires were connected and the work of an arsonist had been limited to as few people as possible. Libby knew he’d like to keep it from spreading and sending widespread panic through the town. He focused his deep-brown eyes on Sylvie. “I don’t really know, Sylvie, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to keep this.”
“Of course. I only used it to stop all that blood.” She shifted her gaze over to Bobby, who’d come to join them. “Miss Bobby, I didn’t know what else to do.”
Deke rose and stepped back so Bobby could get in close. “It’s all right, Sylvie. You called the fire department and took care of Cleetus. We couldn’t have asked any more from you.”
Confusion clouded Sylvie’s face. “But I didn’t call the fire department, Miss Bobby. I was too busy trying to get Cleetus to wake up and stop all that blood.”
Deke’s gaze shot to Gage’s once more. Libby’s legs wobbled as she realized what they were thinking.
Whoever started the fire wanted someone to get here fast. Maybe go inside before it exploded. Deke.
Suddenly, his arm was around her back, supporting her.
“Easy, sweetheart. It could’ve been a neighbor,” he whispered in her ear.
Choking on her own fear, she nodded. Whether he wanted her to believe that or just to keep her from drawing attention to the information, she wasn’t sure. That he wanted her to remain calm, she understood.
“Can I go see Cleetus…um, Deputy Junkins now?” Sylvie asked.
“I think we’re done,” Gage said, rising to stand near the car and handing the keys over to his fiancée, who handed him the phone she’d been using to film the crowd. “Bobby will take you over to the hospital.”
As Bobby climbed into the driver’s side, Sylvie buckled her belt, then held the door a minute before closing it. “I hope what I told you helps y’all find out what happened, Sheriff, Chief.”
“You’ve been a great help, Sylvie.” Gage smiled at her. “And I think my deputy is going
to be very happy to see you when he wakes up.”
The little stylist blushed and closed the door.
“What do you want to do?” Gage asked as the trio stepped back to the sidewalk and Bobby pulled away from the curb.
“I need to talk to Lorna,” Deke said, letting go of Libby’s side and taking the shirt from Gage. “I need to know how many people she’s given one of these shirts to and who they are. Any chance you can finish with the first unit guys here?”
“Yeah. Bobby will keep me posted on Cleetus.”
Deke clamped one hand on his friend’s shoulder. “The big guy’s a fighter, Gunslinger.”
“I know. Just hate to see him laid out like that, dammit.”
The tenderness and pain on both faces of these strong men for their friend tore at Libby’s heart. It wasn’t fair that someone so evil could put then through all this. That someone could be so cruel to hurt a kind soul like Cleetus. That someone could target an honorable man like Deke.
Gage turned and scanned the smoldering rubble. “You go get your answers from Lorna. I got this.” He clasped hands with Deke. “Let’s nail this son of a bitch before he hurts anyone else.”
* * * * *
As Deke drove the short distance to the Peaches ’N Cream, his mind tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Whoever was setting these fires had made him a personal target. That fact became evident with today’s fire. He reached over and hit the dial number on his phone sitting in the truck’s dock.
“Hey, Chief. Everything under control over at the fire scene?” Brandt Outman’s voice came over the speaker. A paraplegic war veteran, Brandt had started manning the switchboard a few years back as a volunteer. Deke had lobbied the town council that this should be a paid position, now filled by Brandt full time and three college kids part time.
“Gage and his team are finishing up. Brandt, I need to know something. Did you take the call for the fire?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Sound like a male or female?”
“That depends on which number you’re talking about.”
Close To The Fire Page 24
